Latest News

Face Covering (Mask or Scarf) to be worn by all patients attending

Following the latest guidance, please can ALL patients attending Oak Tree & Pensilva Surgeries wear a face covering (mask or scarf). Please click here for the latest national guidance on how to wear and make a homemade face mask.

Thank you for your help in preventing the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 research

Our practice is supporting vital COVID-19 research. As part of this, we are helping to carry out a national priority research study called PRINCIPLE.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, are aged 65 or over, OR are aged 50-64 and have an existing health condition, you may be eligible to join this important study.

Oak Tree Surgery & Pensilva Health Centre would like to thank all our patients, our neighbours and the local businesses who have generously donated everything from PPE and additional parking to Easter eggs.

We have been completely overwhelmed by your show of support and any donations big or small make a huge difference to us.

We would also like to express our huge appreciation to the volunteers that have donated so much of their time to support us.

It is with your help, and the support of our community, that we can continue to offer the high standard of services that we strive for.

With very best wishes from us all.

Who's at higher risk from coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19) can make anyone seriously ill. But for some people, the risk is higher.

Mount Edgcumbe Hospice are pleased to announce the opening of the 'Virtual Community Friendship Café' on Face Book today for Cornwall, for everyone whatever their need; a shared space for organisations to shout about what they do. Join here https://buff.ly/3bHmEGV

This is a 12 week rolling cycle following the list of topics below.

Collecting prescriptions for another patient

If you are collecting a prescription from the dispensary/pharmacy for another patient, please ensure that you know all the details about the prescription you are collecting. For example, you will be asked when you arrive to confirm whether you are collecting a routine prescription, a pre-ordered 28 day prescription, an acute prescription, fridge items, controlled drugs, something owing to the patient, etc., as this will help to reduce waiting times.

The government have launched a new website for patients to use in finding out what help they can get if affected by coronavirus. This service is available to all patients who are seeking advice and guidance on the topics such as:

COVID-19 appears to generally cause mild illness in children. Less than 2 in every 100 cases diagnosed in China have been in children and infection appears to be milder in children than it is in adults, although we do not yet understand exactly why this is the case.

The NHS have produced additional information and guidance on “What parents need to know about COVID-19” which is available at:

As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we have asked for our patients understanding and cooperation during this difficult period. We have a number of new ways of working and safety procedures in place in order for us to protect our frontline staff and of course you as patients.

The majority of our patients have been absolutely fantastic, and the support and positive feedback we have received has been amazing and we can’t thank-you enough. However, there is still a small minority of patients who think it’s acceptable to verbally abuse or be aggressive to our staff. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

We operate under the NHS “Zero Tolerance” scheme and this kind of behaviour simply cannot continue. Any patients who do break our Zero Tolerance policy will now be reprimanded immediately and may even result in you being removed from our patient list and/or being reported to the Police.

Our staff are working in a difficult, dangerous and stressful environment every day and are just trying to help our patients. All our staff have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times and should be able to do their jobs without being verbally or physically abused.

Thank-you once again for your continued support and cooperation.

TEP Forms

Due to the current Pandemic crisis we have received a number of requests from patients for TEP forms (Treatment Escalation Plan).

A TEP form is the way in which the practice can record your individual treatment plan, focusing on which treatments may or not be most helpful for you. A variety of treatments can be considered, such as antibiotics, artificial feeding or ventilation of your lungs.

In the current climate it is of vital importance that these forms are completed and/or updated, particularly with our most vulnerable patients.

Once completed, please return it to us via the practice COVID-19 email address which is covid19.oaktree@nhs.net and this will be passed onto your GP who will arrange a telephone call-back with yourself in order to ascertain that the details are indeed your wishes and to clarify instructions.

Thank you for your help and support.

#QuitforCovid

There is lots of press attention around the importance of quitting smoking at this time. A new campaign has been launched to contribute to lessening the load on our NHS / care system: #QuitforCovid

The key messages of the new campaign are:

It is vitally important that we help smokers to quit because smoking harms the immune system and smokers are therefore less protected against infections like coronavirus. Smokers are therefore at greater risk of:

■ getting acute respiratory infections

■ infections lasting longer

■ infections being more serious than it would be for someone who does not smoke

If you have been identified with a medical condition that makes you extremely vulnerable to Coronavirus you should phone the Governments line on 0800 0288327. You will then be on their database to receive food boxes to your door. Alternatively do this online: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

ACE and ARB inhibitors during COVID (3 April 2020)

Many of you will be aware of recent media reports suggesting a potential connection between the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-i) or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) and the risk and severity of COVID-19 infection.

This speculation about the safety of ACE-i or ARB treatment in relation to COVID-19 arises from the observation that the COVID-19 virus binds to a specific enzyme called ACE2 to infect cells and that ACE2 levels are increased following treatment with ACE-i and ARBs. This speculation, however, does not have a sound scientific basis or evidence to support it. Indeed, there is evidence suggesting that these medications might, in fact, be protective against serious lung complications in patients with COVID-19 infection.

In particular, in the population of patients with heart failure, these drugs are essential for reducing both symptoms and premature death. Their use is supported by over 30 years of clinical trial and real-world data. There is evidence demonstrating that withdrawal of ACE-i and ARBs in these patients is associated with higher rates of death and hospital readmission.

Based on the current evidence, during the COVID-19 outbreak we therefore STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT OUR PATIENTS CONTINUE TO TAKE THEIR USUAL HEART and BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION (as recommended by the British cardiovascular Society, British Society for Heart Failure, European Society of Cardiology Council on Hypertension) and we will update you if any new evidence emerges.

Coronavirus UPDATE: Letters to ‘at risk’ group (2 April 2020)

As you may be aware the government have sent over a million letters to patients advising them that they are in an ‘at risk’ group and should isolate for the next twelve weeks.

These letters were produced using hospital data and not data from GP practices. As a result, the government announced that the GP practices will be writing to additional patients by the beginning of this week.

As you may have noticed, there has been a delay in this process centrally by NHS England / NHS Digital. We have been informed that the additional letters are being produced this week.

We understand and share your frustrations regarding the delay in this process and politely ask you to respect our staff whilst we wait for this situation to be resolved. To clarify, it is completely out of our control and we are dependent on NHS England / NHS Digital informing us (and other GP practices across the country) once these additional patients have been identified.

Once the additional patients have been identified and the letters sent, we will let you know.

Volunteer Cornwall

Volunteer Cornwall can support people who are self-isolating due to Coronavirus and need help with things like food shopping, picking up prescriptions, dog walking, tel. befriending etc.

There is also a link for anyone who wants to sign up as a volunteer and help those affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. Volunteer Cornwall have had an amazing response so far and have been able to help all those who’ve needed it in the East however further volunteers are always welcome to ensure ‘more hands on deck’ are ready if required.

Support from Cornwall Hospice Care's Therapy Team

The Cornwall Hospice Care Therapy Team have provided a link to their website where their therapy team have put together some advice and support. There are tips and help on:

Due to the constant changing environment with COVID19 we have taken the decision to safeguard our staff as best we can. As a result of this we have made the difficult decision that no clinical appointments will take place at the Pensilva Health Centre site for the foreseeable future.

All clinical appointments will be solely at Oak Tree Surgery and all telephone calls will be diverted to Oak Tree Surgery.

You may still collect your prescriptions from the dispensary at Pensilva Health Centre but you will have to adhere to the strict protocols in place.

We apologies for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding in these difficult times.

Pharmacy/Dispensary – changes to hours from Monday 23 March 2020

Due to the current exceptional circumstance the pharmacy/dispensary is open the following times:

UPDATE: Please note that the Dispensary queue will close 20 minutes before closing at 1pm and 6.30pm

Coronavirus UPDATE (Tuesday 17 March 2020)

Due to the latest update from the NHS and the Government we have implemented new procedures to screen all patients who attend the practice. You will be asked screening questions at the door and numbers of patients inside the waiting room will be limited to allow the recommended social distancing.

If you are symptomatic or answer yes to any of the screening questions you will not be permitted to enter the surgery. If you require medicines you may be asked to return to your vehicle or wait outside and a member of staff will bring your medication out to you.

Coronavirus UPDATE (Monday 16 March 2020)

The Practice has made the decision to limit the number & type of routine appointments. All appointments will be triaged so that the most urgent are seen first. We have made this decision to safeguard patients and staff.

Due to the current situation regarding COVID19 we, as a practice, have decided to ensure that all patients who currently have delivery of medicines will continue to receive this service.

All patients over 70 may receive a delivery of medicines from us to help with the impending over 70s isolation plan. Any of our patients who currently do not have delivery may contact the practice and a decision regarding delivery will be completed on a patient by patient basis.

We are also currently allowing patients to order their medication via telephone on 01579 324252 and select option 2 - please be patient as we are experiencing high volumes of calls.

Change of phase reason:

On Friday 13th March 2020 the government announced we are moving into the delay phase of #COVID19. This means, if you have a new continuous cough OR a high temperature (37.8 degrees or higher), you should stay at home for at least 7 days from when your symptoms started.

We expect the NHS to be exceptionally busy in the coming days and weeks. If you have serious symptoms that you cannot manage at home or persist longer than 7 days, please go to NHS 111 online, or call 111 if you cannot go online.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the NHS and Public Health England have laid out protocols that GP Practices and other health care facilities must follow.

With immediate effect, the surgery is now cancelling all routine appointments going forward as per guidance for coronavirus. Please do not attend the surgery for your appointment next week, please call us to try to rebook after 2 months. Alternatively you can do this through eConsult, Patient Access or the NHS App.

If you are unwell, please call us for a telephone review.

Patients when seeking an appointment, will as part of the telephone triage process, be asked a series of screening questions in order to make a decision as to whether it is suitable for you to attend the surgery. If you are not then you will be directed towards the NHS 111 Corona Virus service.

Additionally, if you are a delivery patient for prescriptions, you will also be called and screened to ascertain if it is OK for you to have a delivery.

On the advice of the NHS and Public Health England, deliveries will now be limited to ‘housebound’ patients only. This criteria will be monitored very strictly.

Currently, there will also be no allowance of additional prescriptions being issued as we are under strict instructions NOT to stockpile medicines as this will create a shortage throughout the country. All patients must stay on the normal prescription frequency that they are currently on. This is non-negotiable. If there are any changes to any of these recommendations then we will let you know immediately.

Thank-you for your understanding and co-operation during this difficult time. The safety of our patients and staff is always our primary concern.

Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre

New Text Service

We are trialling a new tool for sending surveys regarding your health. This will be a text message service and will include a link to a website for you to complete a few questions relevant to your specific health needs. Your answers will be reviewed by a clinician and any follow up needed will be done with a clinician. It is a quick and easy service and will enable us to provide improved access to care.

Please note: The text will state that it is sent from ‘GPSurgery’ and will be signed from Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre. If you are not connected to Wi-Fi mobile data charges will apply. There is no obligation to complete the survey and you can continue to access our services at the surgery.

Man down is a Cornwall based group offering a safe space to meet the current emotional and mental health needs of men who are struggling to cope with the everyday pressures facing them in our modern society. Visit their website at:https://www.mandown-cornwall.co.uk/

Flu

If you are an eligible adult please contact the surgery to book an appointment.

Pensilva Health Centre patients are also able attend walk-in flu clinics at Oak Tree Surgery from Monday to Friday from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. If you are an eligible adult and would like to come along please pop in to Oak Tree Surgery reception between these times.

See a GP in minutes by Video through LIVI

Kernow practices have partnered with LIVI to offer an extended access service to patients through the LIVI app. It’s free to patients alongside all standard NHS services and will improve patient experience and outcomes. Please see the guide below for additional information.

New Mental Health Directory Nov 2019

One of the Social Prescribing Link Workers supporting GPs has compiled the attached Mental Health Directory. Contents include Crisis Support contacts, Wellbeing Resources, Wellbeing Services and Wellbeing Support Groups.

You will then be asked if you have received a registration letter from the practice. Please state NO, then press Continue.

Complete your Personal Details, Name, Date of Birth, Postcode and House name or Number (not the first line of your address), press Continue. Enter your Email Address and a Password. You need to tick the box to state you have read the terms and conditions. Press Register and Create Account.

You will get a message informing you your account has been created and you are limited to booking a single appointment. Please note all available online appointments are for a telephone call back.

If you have registered previously with us for online services, you donot need to bring in proof of Identity, we can use your previously verified documents. However please allow at least one week for your account to be properly activated.

If you have not previously brought ID to the surgery for verification, you will need to present at the surgery with two forms of ID. One with a photo ID and one with proof of address.

E-Consult is back and there is no change to this service. Please access and use as you did before our system changeover....

We would like to thank you for your patience whilst we have been getting the system working for you.

Kind regards

Practice Manager for Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre

Patient Access Online Service

Dear Patients,

Thank you for your continued support through our change over to our new system! We are now able to book appointments and the teams are working really hard to make sure that we can offer you the best service that we can.

However, it is going to take a going to take a bit longer to get all our patients up and running with the new online service to go with our new system. If you had an account with the Waiting Room you will get an email to let you know when you can log on to Patient Access where you can then order your repeat prescriptions and book appointments. If you haven't heard anything yet then you will over the next few weeks. I apologise for any inconvenience at this time but thank you for your patience.

Best Wishes

Practice Manager at Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre

A MASSIVE THANK YOU!

On Tuesday (21st May 19) we changed our patient record system to our new system EMIS. As we could have predicted there were a few teething problems which meant we weren't up and running as quickly as we would have liked. Thankfully we are now up and running and all the teams are using the new system and learning as they go to get the best out of the system for the benefit of our patients.

I, on behalf of all the staff at both practices, would like to thank you for your support and understanding then, and your continued support, whilst we catch up and learn, learn, learn!

Best Wishes

Practice Manager at Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre

Great News!

East Cornwall have listened to their patient's and are providing their GP Practices with a new electronic patient record system!

Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre are getting ready for the imminent change over and can't wait to start using it... The benefits for our patients will be obvious from the change of the "Waiting Room" online prescription and appointments service which has had it's issues for our patients both at Oak Tree ad Pensilva. The new system will be called " Patient Access" and will be a much more efficient and easier way to request your repeat prescriptions and book online appointments. There will be further benefits to using this in the long term future too. There will be more information available so watch this space! We will be getting details out to you very soon.

There may be a week or two of disruption during the changeover but we are preparing as much as possible to make sure that this minimal and keeping you up-to-date to ensure you know what the change means to you and your usual service.

Best Wishes

Practice Manager for Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre

Fit Note /Sick Note Change

There is a change to the way that you get a Fit Note/Sick Note following a hospital admission. Historically when you are in hospital you would have been issued with a sick note for the time that you have been an in-patient onlyand then if you needed further time to recover and weren't fit for work following your discharge then you would have to contact your GP to issue another one. This has now changed. From 1st February 2019 Derriford Hospital should now issue a sick note for the length of time you should take to recover before returning for work. This has been given a bedding in period so at the moment the GP can still issue one if you aren't given one on discharge.

From 1st April 2019 the GP will no longer be able to issue a sick note for patients that have been discharged from hospital. If you are discharged without a sick note and you need one you will need to contact the PALS Team at Derriford on 01752 439884 or 01752 432564 or you can email them atplh-tr.PALS@nhs.net. They will then contact the discharging doctor to issue you with a sick note.

Best Wishes

Practice Manager

Change of Opening Hours

Our opening hours are changing from the 1st April 2019.

Currently we are open from 8:30am - 6:00pm. Our new hours will be 8:00am - 6:00pm. Telephone calls will still be taken until 6:30pm and these will be taken by the Out of Hours service from 6:00pm and directed appropriately.

This means that it will be possible to book a telephone call back appointment from 8:00am.

Please note that the Dispensary will continue to open at 8:30am.

Practice Manager for Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre

Weather News - Update

Pensilva Health Centre will re-open for emergencies only from 2pm - 6pm this afternoon (Friday 1st February 2019). We fully expect to be open as usual on Monday 4th February 2019.

Practice Manager for Oak Tree Surgery and Pensilva Health Centre.

Weather News

Due to the adverse weather conditions yesterday, 31st January 2019, the decision was made to close Pensilva Health Centre at around 4.15pm to reduce risk to our patients coming to the surgery and also to ensure that the staff stayed safe. The health centre remains closed this morning and this will be reviewed shortly.

Practice Manager for Oak Tree Surgeryand Pensilva Health Centre.

A word of thanks

The Partners would like to thank Catherine Pickstone for her 22 years of service to the Practice. Catherine has been a much loved and highly regarded member of the Practice Team over that time.

Having successfully enabled the merger with Oak Tree Surgery Catherine has moved on to pastures new and we wish her every good fortune for the future and her travels. Catherine will be greatly missed.

We are delighted to welcome Gemma Wright as Strategic Practice Manager and we will be appointing an Operations Manager, who will be the main point of contact for patients, shortly.

In the meantime, department leads will be pleased to help you with any queries related to their departments.

Pharmacy2U Letters

We are aware of a recent letter being sent out from a company called Pharmacy2U. We would like to inform our patients that this is not sent from the surgery, is not due to the merger and certainly is not endorsed or approved by us.

The blue and white colouring of the literature, which contains the NHS logo, makes it look like an official NHS leaflet but this is not the case. They are not part of your surgery, your local pharmacy, but are a distance internet only company.

We would like our patients to have a choice but hope you continue to support the services of your surgery or local pharmacy in order to keep these services available.

Oak Tree Surgery reached an agreement with Pensilva Health Centre and took over the running of this practice from 1st January 2018.

Patients at Pensilva Health Centre have continued to have a doctor and to benefit from good local care at its surgery. The Practices have been running independently since then but working together to achieve our common aims of creating a resilient and future proof service and providing high quality health care to all of our patients.

The Partners would like to merge the patient lists, GMS contracts and IT systems to allow easier working across both sites in the interests of improved patient care in July 2018. We have prepared a patient leaflet which provides further information and FAQs. Your feedback is important to us and if you wish to comment, there is provision in the leaflet for you to do so.